Craig Stammen, first-year manager of the San Diego Padres, is not sitting on the hottest seat in baseball.
But that also doesn’t rule out the possibility Stammen could lose his job, reports Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports. Nightengale, noting Stammen signed a three-year deal in November, wrote, “Yet, if the Padres miss the playoffs, someone needs to be the fall guy, and Stammen is A.J. Preller’s seventh manager in 12 years since becoming GM and president of baseball operations.’’
Through games on Sunday, Aug. 16, the Padres (67-58) were tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for the third wild card berth. The Arizona Diamondbacks (66-59) are a game behind and the Miami Marlins (64-61) and the St. Louis Cardinals (64-61) are both three games back.
The Padres have never won the World Series, and it’s unlikely this team will end the drought.
This season, San Diego ranks 21st in runs with 535, 19th in on-base percentage (.314) and 23rd in batting average (.238). The Padres’ pitching has fared better, with San Diego ranking 13th in ERA (.408) and 18th in WHIP (1.31).
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Padres' manager Stammen could be out if team fails to reach playoffs